Pervez Musharraf critical, may be shifted abroad for treatment

Islamabad: Pakistan`s former president Pervez Musharraf has suffered a "severe heart attack" and is placed in the Critical Care Unit in Rawalpindi hospital, All Pakistan Muslim League`s (APML) spokesperson told a news agency.

Musharraf was taken to Rawalpindi`s Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, after he complained of chest pain on way to the special court for treason trial.

According to local media reports, he may be shifted abroad for further treatment. The decision of shifting him abroad for treatment will taken only after the release of his medical report, sources said.

Musharraf left his farmhouse Thursday morning to appear at the special court where his treason trial hearing is taking place, but missed the trial for the third time as he was taken to the hospital.

Earlier, Dr Raza Bokhari, international spokesperson of Musharraf had confirmed that Musharraf is "conscious".

"He is conscious, oriented in time and space and is being examined by Pakistani military doctors..We pray to Allah for his speedy and full recovery," he said in a statement.

The court had yesterday warned the legal team of Musharraf that an arrest warrant would be issued against him if the former General failed to appear at the court before 11:30 am, said a Pakistani newspaper.

Meanwhile, the treason hearing took a further dramatic turn today, when Anwar Mansoor Khan, one of the lawyers for Musharraf walked out of the court complaining of threats being given to him for defending Musharraf.

He further said that he couldn`t sleep the night before the hearing as “from 1:00 am to five in the morning. Someone was banging on my door and ringing my bell".

"I was under total threat...” Khan told the court.

"This never happened in my 40 years of practice. I will walk out," Khan said.

Also another lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada, complained of being threatened.

Musharraf faces treason charges for having abrogated the Constitution on Nov 3, 2007 by imposing an Emergency and is liable to face life imprisonment or death penalty if found guilty.

Musharraf had failed to show up at the court yesterday with his lawyers citing the security risk in the wake of explosives often being found on the route from his residence to the court.

Yesterday for the third time, explosives were found on the way to the court.

During the trial yesterday, which began without Musharraf, his lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasturi expressed concern at the security issue saying that even the judges` lives were at risk, if any bombing took place outside the court, reported a Pakistani news channel.
Citing security threat, the 70-year old General`s lawyers argued that if anything happened to Musharraf, the court would be responsible for it.

However Justice Faisal Arab, who is leading the three member bench, said that an arrest warrant would be issued against Musharraf if he did not appear in the court on Thursday.